Mopar enthusiasts enjoy being part of action, walking down memory lane

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Lonnie Smith, of Powell, puts his 1968 Dodge Dart in a trailer for the night as he prepares to head home for evening. Thousands arrived at National Trail Raceway for Mopar Nationals this weekend.
Sara C. Tobias/The Advocate

Jill and Grover Upton, of Indianapolis, sit with their 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTS in the Mopar Nationals Survivors Tent on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018. The car was Jill's parents, Loy and Georgia Hacker, first and only new car and has only 40,000 miles on it.
Sara C. Tobias/The Advocate

The Cincinnati resident, however, believes he has a showstopper at this year's Mopar Nationals. On Friday, Bowling simply was waiting for a chance to take it down National Trail Raceway.

"It took three cars to make this one," said Bowling, who has owned his 1970 Dodge Challenger, which draws eyeballs with his multi-colored paint job, for 30 years. "It started out running slow, probably about 13 seconds. Right now, it's about a 10-second car at about 136 mph. The car's really exciting to watch leave the line."

A large crowd passed through the gates Friday before thunderstorms sent fans scrambling, vendors packing up and drivers covering up. Mopar Nats as it is affectionately called continues through Sunday.

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Jill and Grover Upton, of Indianapolis, sit with their 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTS in the Mopar Nationals Survivors Tent on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018. The car was Jill's parents, Loy and Georgia Hacker, first and only new car and has only 40,000 miles on it.(Photo: Sara C. Tobias/The Advocate)

When out-of-towners like Bowling come to town ready to race for the title, Mitch Williams says bring it on. The Hebron resident lives a mile away and enjoys protecting his home turf so to speak.

"We have a good time," said Williams, who drives a 1970 Plymouth Duster. "I race here every weekend and every Wednesday night, every points race. The payday's a little bit better (this weekend)."

Williams' teenage sons Tanner and Logan also frequently race at NTR, and he competes along side his mechanics and close friends from the family-owned Goodin Auto Repair and Performance in Newark.

Family is what brings Butch Bates back to Licking County every year. He lives in Virginia and a trip to Mopar Nats always is on the itinerary when he visits relatives in Cincinnati.

"I have been a Chrysler enthusiast for decades," Bates said. "It's the combination of the classic cars plus the family. And, we all love the history of the National Trail Raceway. This is the traditional venue. Some of us were unhappy when it went to Indianapolis for several years (1994-97)."

It did not take long for NTR owner Chris Payne, which he bought with Shelby Development in 2017, to see his track and Mopar Nats are a destination.

"So many of these people, this is not their first time," Payne said. "The majority of the people are in double digits. They look forward to coming every year. You don't see that in racing events a lot. You see people who go once every five or 10 years, but this is on their calendar every year for vacation."

This year's Mopar Nats is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Plymouth Road Runner and Dodge Super Bee. The Survivors Tent this year includes a 1969 Super Bee, a 1967 Plymouth GTX and a wood-paneled station wagon, providing a walk into the past for any baby boomer.

Kevin Gass travels across the country as a representative for KJR Motorsports, but he said that's what separates Mopar.

"The level of the cars here is incredible," Gass said. "That's what it's all about. You don't see these cars anywhere else. You don't see this many Hemi cars, six-barrel cars, six-pack cars, this many little red express trucks. The rare parts in the swap meet, people need to come. ... I don't have any Mopar cars right now, but that's always subject to change. Maybe by Sunday afternoon. I have already been to the car corral once."

Bowling will add relationships to the appeal of Mopar. He wants to win when he reaches the track, but he always will have time for an opponent.

"It's the competitiveness that drives all of us and the camaraderie," Bowling said. "When you get up on that starting line, all of a sudden there is no friendship, there is no love. At the same time, we help guys get their cars up and rolling."